AS IT HAPPENED: THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
The Advertiser (Australia)
April 19, 2006 Wednesday
State Edition
A guarantee of rape, murder or theft. This was reality for the Armenian
population in Turkey, left, during World War I – a horror that spanned
decades as the government tried to obliterate a belief system and,
with that, millions of innocent lives.

OSCE AMBASSADORS EMPHASIZE UPCOMING ELECTIONS
Lragir.am
19 April 06
On April 19 Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan met with the ambassadors of
OSCE members and representatives of international organizations to
Armenia, informs the Department of Public Relations of the National
Assembly of Armenia.
Noting that for the first time an agreement was reached among all
the political forces on the Electoral Code, the speaker of the
National Assembly presented all the major changes, informing that
the project had been extended to the Commission of Venice and the
OSCE. Answering the questions of ambassadors, Arthur Baghdasaryan
said the group of experts of the OSCE and the Commission of Venice
are visiting Armenia in June to discuss the renewed Electoral Code
and administrative problems. During the meeting advisory and technical
issues were discussed.
In their speeches U.S. Ambassador John Evans, the head of the OSCE
Yerevan Office Vladimir Pryakhin, Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente,
UN Resident Coordinator Consuelo Vidal pointed to the engagement
of proposals of international organizations in the Electoral Code,
emphasized the establishment of a legislative basis and political will
to conduct elections in 2007-2008 in compliance with international
standards, and asserted their willingness to support.
By the end of the meeting an arrangement was reached to carry on
discussions on the Electoral Code.

LIBRARIAN ACCUSED OF ‘SEXUAL HARASSMENT’ AFTER RECOMMENDING ‘MARKETING OF EVIL’
The Nutty Professors
WorldNetDaily.com ily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49809
Wednesda y, April 19, 2006
Book-banning ‘gay’ profs forced to drop allegations
After the entire faculty voted, with no dissenters, to brand their head
librarian as a sexual harasser because he recommended the bestselling
book “The Marketing of Evil” as required reading for freshmen, Ohio
State University has finally dropped its controversial charges in
the glare of national media attention.
But, warns the librarian’s attorney, who calls this one of the most
“astonishing” and “shameful” instances of campus persecution he’s
ever seen, the damage to his client’s reputation and career has been
done. They’ve already filed a complaint against three professors
for false accusations of harassment and are discussing a more
“substantial” response – including possible litigation – to “deter
any future tyranny or bullying of others.”
As WND first reported, Scott Savage, a devout Quaker, is head of
Reference and Instructional Services at the Bromfield Library on Ohio
State University’s Mansfield campus. As a member of the university’s
First Year Reading Experience Committee, Savage had suggested four
books be considered as required reading for incoming freshmen:
“The Marketing of Evil” by David Kupelian, “The Professors” by David
Horowitz, “Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis” by Bat Ye’or, and “It Takes
a Family” by Sen. Rick Santorum. Savage made the recommendations
after other committee members had suggested a series of books with
a left-wing perspective, by authors such as Jimmy Carter and Maria
Shriver.
However, three professors – two of them openly homosexual – filed
a complaint of discrimination and harassment, contending Kupelian’s
book was “hate literature” which “threatened” them and made them feel
“unsafe” on campus. After a 21-0 faculty vote (with 9 abstentions)
on March 13, the school’s Office of Human Resources put Savage under
“investigation.” The full-faculty vote was rescinded two days later
for legal reasons, and the three offended professors filed the
harassment complaint.
The professors who filed the complaint against Savage are Hannibal
Hamlin, Norman Jones and J.K. Buckley. Jones teaches courses in
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender literature, and according to
his bio, “his current research focuses on sexuality and spirituality,
particularly exploring the phenomenon of the ‘post-secular queer’
in contemporary literature.” Buckley has written “The Social Critic:
The Rise of Queer Performance Within the Demise of Transcendentalism”
as well as “articles on sexual orientation in Hemingway and Melville.”
Stepping up to defend Savage has been the Arizona-based public-interest
law firm, the Alliance Defense Fund, which on March 28 filed a “Cease
and Desist” letter to OSU Mansfield officials.
Undeterred, the university pressed on in its “investigation” of Savage,
insisting it takes “any allegation of sexual harassment seriously.”
The ADF filing linked above includes, as evidentiary exhibits,
the condemnations of Savage and Kupelian made by OSU professors in
intra-faculty e-mails March 9. The professors’ comments include:
Hannibal Hamlin: “Re Kupelian’s book, would you advocate a book
that was racist or antisemitic, or are you arguing that homosexuals
are not in the same category and that homophobia is not therefore a
matter of discrimination but of rational argument? And what are we
supposed to make of the fact that Kupelian’s Armenian family died
in the holocaust? Does this mean that he then has the right to spout
bigotry about other minorities with impunity?”
Norman Jones: “The anti-gay book Scott Savage endorses falsely claims
that ‘the widely revered father of the “sexual revolution” has been
irrefutably exposed as a full-fledged sexual psychopath who encouraged
pedophilia.’ This is a factually untrue characterization of Dr. Kinsey
and his work on every point. … I am frankly embarrassed for you,
Scott, that you would endorse this kind of homophobic tripe.”
J.K. Buckley: “As a gay man I have long ago realized that the world
is full of homophobic, hate-mongers who, of course, say that they
are not. So I am not shocked, only deeply saddened – and THREATENED –
that such mindless folks are on this great campus. … You have made
me fearful and uneasy being a gay man on this campus. I am, in fact,
notifying the OSU-M campus, and Ohio State University in general,
that I no longer feel safe doing my job. I am being harassed.”
Finally, since WorldNetDaily, Sean Hannity, MSNBC, Fox News’ Brit Hume
and dozens of bloggers and talk show hosts have brought the case to
national attention over the last few days, Ohio State University has
reportedly reversed course. That is, the Mansfield campus’s dean and
director, Evelyn B. Freeman, has now notified the faculty that the
charges have been dropped, although – strangely – neither Savage nor
his ADF attorneys have been notified of that fact.
Here’s the e-mail the faculty received from Freeman:
Dear Faculty and Staff,
The Ohio State University is strongly committed to the free, open,
and civil exchange of views as part of the educational process. To
prepare our students for success, we must have an atmosphere where
students, staff and faculty are free to express opinions and where
different points of view are not only tolerated, but welcomed. I want
to affirm President Holbrook’s April 5 message to the campus community:
“Ohio State is a caring community that rejects racism, homophobia,
gender-bias, religious intolerance and other forms of prejudice,
exclusion, and disrespect.”
It is unfortunate that conflicting viewpoints on the Mansfield campus
escalated to charges of harassment.
After a thorough investigation of complaints raised by faculty members
against a reference librarian, the University has determined that
there were no findings of harassment. However, the news media has
now picked up on this incident and you will likely be seeing some
coverage in the state and national news.
I hope we can all learn from this incident. We recognize that in the
course of robust intellectual debate in and out of the classroom,
there exists the potential for conflict. But we have to handle that
conflict responsibly and with collegiality. We will be taking a number
of steps to help create a more welcoming atmosphere on the Mansfield
campus by offering additional training for faculty and staff. We also
will work to reinforce a better understanding of the principles of
academic rights and responsibilities, and to ensure the respect for
diversity of all kinds.
Sincerely,
Evie
Evelyn B. Freeman, Dean and Director The Ohio State University at
Mansfield
So is the case over?
Not by a long shot, says David French, Savage’s attorney and director
of ADF’s Center for Academic Freedom, who says the librarian is
carefully “weighing his options.”
“Scott’s exploring litigation – he has already filed an internal
complaint accusing the professors of a false allegation of
harassment. But he is definitely exploring possibilities of
litigation,” said the ADF attorney.
“While we’re glad there was no finding of harassment – that’s merely
common sense on the part of the university – we’re upset there hasn’t
been a direct communication of that fact to Scott or his attorneys.”
Much more importantly, said French, “the damage has been done” to
Scott’s career and reputation. “Ohio State University allowed its
resources to be used in a campaign of slander and defamation.” Saying
Savage “wants to do something substantial to deter any future tyranny
or bullying of others,” French concluded: “We’re certainly glad Scott
has been exonerated, but by no means is this over.”
One consequence of the case, surely unintended by the professors
condemning Kupelian’s book as “homophobic tripe” and “hate literature,”
is that “The Marketing of Evil” has shot up the nation’s bestsellers
lists, where it currently is ranked No. 1 on Amazon.com’s “Current
Events” bestseller chart.
The reason for the massive interest in Kupelian’s book? The following
letter, one of many sent in response to the column about the case by
Rebecca Hagelin, tells the story.
I hope you can forward the information to the faculty of OSU-M
that I, for one, had not yet heard of the book, “The Marketing of
Evil.” But because of their hysteria and hypocritical intolerance, I
have decided that it is something I should definitely read. I intend
to buy a copy, and perhaps an extra to pass. In spite of themselves,
these would-be thought controllers are serving as a beacon of light,
showing the way to valuable literature!
Released in August, “The Marketing of Evil” has become one of the
nation’s most talked-about books, widely praised by Dr. Laura,
David Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin, D. James Kennedy and many others
and garnering over 100 five-star reader reviews on Amazon.com.
In one final irony: “The Marketing of Evil” is readily available in
the Ohio State University bookstore.
____________
SPECIAL OFFER: Since WND Books is the publisher of David Kupelian’s
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OFFER No. 3: If you’d like to give friends and loved ones “The
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STAGES OF DISCOVERY – NEW DILIJAN CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES
By Chris Pasles
Times Staff Writer
ver20apr20,0,4427443.story?coll=cl-music
April 20, 2006
Disney Hall And The Like May Get The Spotlight, But Lots Of Other
Live Arts Venues Have First-Rate Talent Too
In the mood for a concert, a play or a ballet? Think beyond Disney Hall
or the Ahmanson Theatre. The region abounds in a variety of venues,
from museums and universities to churches and mansions. It’s 7:30
p.m. and you’re hot to hear this piece for 100 electric guitars by
Glenn Branca at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Usually you can get in,
even at the last minute. But on this night it’s sold out.
Well, what about that Rachmaninoff concert the next week?
Same thing.
But if you have some flexibility, you could get your new music fix
with Vinny Golia at the REDCAT or your fill of Romantic music by the
Pasadena Symphony a few days later.
Though this very scenario played out just a few weeks ago, it’s typical
of the busy spring performing arts season here. Yes, Disney Hall,
the Ahmanson Theatre and the Orange County Performing Arts Center
tend to grab the headlines, but there is plenty of first-rate artistic
life outside their walls. The trick lies in knowing where to find it.
Southern California has a wealth of venues that consistently offer
programming of high quality — whether they are churches, museums,
universities, civic auditoriums or historic sites. Better yet, the
prices usually won’t tax your wallet.
This weekend, for instance, the young Avalon String Quartet plays at
the Doheny Mansion, pianist Christopher O’Riley plays the music of
Elliott Smith at the Getty Center, the New York-based Parsons Dance
Company appears at Cal State Northridge, the enterprising Jacaranda
chamber music series continues at the First Presbyterian Church of
Santa Monica and Southwest Chamber Music plays at the Norton Simon
Museum in Pasadena.
And that’s not a complete list by any means.
“There are, in fact, a lot of choices,” says Deborah Borda, president
of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn.
“You have a truly great chamber music hall in Zipper downtown. I go
there on a regular basis. You have Royce, which is an absolute jewel.
The place I attend away from the Music Center more often than anything
else would be Royce. There’s a real advantage of having very good
halls of different sizes.”
They run the gamut from the Alex Theatre in Glendale to the Zipper
Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. And between A and Z, you can
easily find dozens of smaller, less well-known Southland venues that
regularly offer music, dance and theater events, whether as part of
their own series or as rentals.
But where to start?
Here’s a look at some of the more significant and perhaps surprising
places.
Historic sites
Ice cream came to Los Angeles in 1856. Surfing was introduced to
California at Redondo Beach in 1907. So culture palaces could not
be far behind in this relentless march of progress. In fact, some
of the Southland’s best sites date from the early decades of the
last century. Going to a performance in them today is a magnificent
reminder of our rich cultural history.
The Alex Theatre was built in 1925 as an upscale vaudeville and
movie hall, and it was renovated by the city of Glendale in 1992 as
a centerpiece of the city’s Brand Boulevard revitalization, honoring
the site’s historic importance. But there’s nothing dated about its
offerings. You could have caught the exciting modern dance troupe
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago or pianist-conductor Jeffrey Kahane and
the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in their Mozart series last year.
Another LACO concert is coming up May 20, and Burbank-based Media City
Ballet will open its fifth season with a new production of “Hansel and
Gretel” May 13 and 14. (It’s also home to the occasional TV taping.)
The Doheny Mansion opens a window on deluxe Victorian living. Built in
1899-1900 and sold in 1901 to oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny, it is now
part of Mount St. Mary’s College’s downtown L.A. campus. The resident
Da Camera Society sponsors chamber music programs under the Tiffany
glass dome of the Pompeian Room. (The society also finds attractive
venues such as the Bradbury Building and the Queen Mary for its “Music
in Historic Sites” series.) The next chance to sample the lifestyles
of the rich and famous comes Friday, with the Avalon String Quartet,
and May 12, with the Toronto-based Gryphon Trio.
An important piece of Hollywood history is the 1,200-seat Ricardo
Montalbán Theatre, a 1920s landmark previously called the Doolittle
Theatre and before that the Huntington Hartford. It got a new name
when the Ricardo Montalbán Nosostros Foundation took it over from
UCLA in 2000, looking for a venue to enhance opportunities for Latinos
in the entertainment industry. John Stothers’ musical “Pilgrim” just
finished its run. No other show has been announced, but stay tuned.
Built in 1873 as the only California opera house south of San
Francisco, the 680-seat Lobero Theatre was refurbished in 1924 as a
more versatile space. It’s now home to several Santa Barbara arts
groups, including Santa Barbara Opera and Santa Barbara Chamber
Orchestra, but it will draw a more far-flung audience this summer
when dance superstar Mikhail Baryshnikov and Hell’s Kitchen Dance
make their only Southern California appearance June 21 to 23.
Others to look for: Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara, Wilshire
Ebell Theatre in L.A., Wadsworth Theatre in West L.A. and Ambassador
Auditorium in Pasadena
Religious sites
Churches and synagogues have become sanctuaries for emerging groups
that have small wallets but big ideas, including exploring new
repertory or mixing old and new in interesting ways. The sites help
remind us of the arts’ higher aspirations too.
Actor’s Co-op, based at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood,
has won six Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, including a 1996
citation for sustained achievement by a small theater. It performs in
two venues in the church: the Crossley Terrace Theatre and the Crossley
Theatre. Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” has been extended at
the Crossley Terrace through Sunday. Larry Shue’s comedy “The Nerd”
will open Friday and run through May 28 at the Crossley Theatre.
The First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica is the base for the
enterprising Jacaranda music series, founded in 2003 by Mark Hilt
(one of the church’s directors of music) and Patrick Scott. This
adventuresome group juxtaposes newer and older repertory. Next up
is a Saturday concert to honor the 50th anniversary of neo-Romantic
Romanian composer Georges Enesco’s death. His works will be played
alongside music by Ravel.
Westwood United Methodist Church is home to composer Young Riddle’s
Nimbus Ensemble, in its third season. This ensemble also juxtaposes new
and older music, but with a twist. Each program includes a “mystery”
piece identified from the stage. Sunday’s program will include works
by La Monte Young, Shostakovich, Lutoslawski and somebody else. To
find out who, you’ll have to go.
Though it recently finished its current season, the Music Guild casts
a wide net, with concerts at Sinai Temple in Westwood, Valley Beth
Shalom in Encino and (the secular) Daniel Recital Hall at Cal State
Long Beach. Founded in 1944, this presenter has a history of spotting
up-and-coming ensembles, as well as bringing in more established
artists. There’s also a smaller Sunday afternoon series at University
Synagogue in Brentwood. Catch their programs next year.
Others to look for: Concerts also pop up regularly at the Neighborhood
Church in Pasadena, Pasadena Presbyterian, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian
in Newport Beach, St. Luke’s Episcopal in Long Beach, Rolling Hills
Covenant Church, St. Matthew’s in Pacific Palisades, Pacific Unitarian
Church and Temple Beth Torah in Ventura.
On campus
Colleges and universities see the arts as more than a means of
enriching their students’ educational experience. They realize they can
bridge the gap between town and gown by enticing community audiences
onto campus for performances they might not find anywhere else locally.
UCLA presents the most inclusive list through its UCLA Live series at
Royce Hall. Built in 1929 on the model of a church in Milan, Italy,
Royce is an acoustically superior site. Chinese powerhouse pianist
Yundi Li made his L.A. recital debut there last Thursday. Upcoming
events include the innovative Vancouver-based dance company the Holy
Body Tattoo on Saturday and Sunday and satirist David Sedaris on
April 28.
Cal State Fullerton opened a $48.5-million Performing Arts Center in
January, designed by the same team that created the Zipper Concert
Hall at the Colburn School in downtown Los Angeles. The centerpiece of
the new facility is the 800-seat Meng Concert Hall, where the Pacific
Symphony will play April 30 in a return to its roots. The orchestra,
which next season moves into its new Orange County home, the Renée and
Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, was born at the university 27 years ago.
Just topping 1,100 seats, the Luckman Theatre is part of the Harriet &
Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State Los Angeles. It’s home
to James Newton’s Luckman Jazz Orchestra, which just finished its
season but will return in the fall. Visiting groups include Britain’s
enterprising Phoenix Dance Theatre on April 28 and 29 and risk-taking
Montréal Danse on May 13.
Professional groups playing at the Zipper Concert Hall include
Musica Angelica, the Piano Spheres series, Camerata Pacifica, the
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s “Conversations” series and, next
up, the new Dilijan Chamber Music series with an Armenian genocide
commemoration on Friday.
Others to look for: Glorya Kaufman and Schoenberg halls at UCLA,
Beckman and Ramo auditoriums at Caltech, Bing Theater at USC, Santa
Monica College, Bridges Auditorium at the Claremont Colleges, Campbell
Hall at UCSB, Los Angeles Harbor College, the Carpenter Performing
Arts Center and Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater at Cal State Long
Beach, Laguna Beach Artists Theatre at Laguna Beach High School,
Marsee Auditorium at El Camino College and Raitt Recital Hall at
Pepperdine University.
Museums
Art museums and other institutions focus on visual or broad cultural
missions, but they often supplement their aims by hosting music or
dance events to enrich their patrons’ experiences.
The Huntington Library, established in 1919 as a research and
educational institution, has become a summer site for Southwest
Chamber Music. (It also plays concerts at the Norton Simon Museum in
Pasadena and Zipper Hall.) Its next Norton Simon concert is Saturday,
with a repeat at Zipper on Tuesday. Southwest’s summer series runs
July 7 through Aug. 26.
The famed Getty Center in Los Angeles, which houses Western art
from the Middle Ages to the present, and the Getty Villa in Pacific
Palisades, the Getty’s original home, also offer music events. The
New York Chamber Soloists will play works by Stravinsky, Milhaud,
Satie and others at the Getty Center on May 6.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is discontinuing its distinguished
serious music programs at the end of this season, but you can still
catch the amazing Italian pianist Marino Formenti in two contemporary
music programs Monday and May 1.
The Skirball Cultural Center in L.A. mainly explores 4,000 years
of Jewish culture through exhibitions, films and music, but it also
presents a modest, enterprising dance series. Next up are Japanese
movement artists Eiko and Koma with Cambodia’s Reyum Painting
Collective in “Water Colors” on Monday.
Civic auditoriums
Cities tend to reach a stage where pride needs to be expressed in
an impressive building that lets the public access the arts. Some of
the Southland’s oldest buildings reflect that pride and address the
public’s democratic range of interests.
The 3,000-seat Pasadena Civic Auditorium, built in 1931, holds
musicals, ballets, televised award shows and other events. But for
the music lover, it’s best known as the home of the Pasadena Symphony,
which will close its 78th season on May 6 when Jorge Mester conducts
works by Glinka, Prokofiev and Berlioz.
The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, owned and operated by the
city of Cerritos, opened in 1993. It offers more than 150 performances
a season, ranging from pops to opera. The center can be configured
six ways, from an 1,800-seat area theater down to a 900-seat recital
hall. Last week, Ballet NY danced parts of George Balanchine’s “Who
Cares?” and other works. As part of the theater’s José Iturbi series,
which showcases young emerging artists, baritone Quinn Kelsey will sing
works by Beethoven, Bellini and other composers on Wednesday. The
London-based Carl Rosa Company will stage “H.M.S. Pinafore” on
April 28.
Last year, you could have caught tap virtuoso Savion Glover dancing to
music by Vivaldi, Bach and Mendelssohn at the jewel-box Irvine Barclay
Theatre. This 750-seat theater was built in 1990 as a joint project
by the city of Irvine, UC Irvine and the Irvine Theatre Operating
Company. It will present its annual summer Flamenco Festival on
Aug. 4-13 and an adaptation of the Chinese classic “The Peony Pavilion”
on Sept. 22-24. The theater also serves as the site for chamber music
concerts sponsored by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. Next
up on that series is pianist Krystian Zimerman on Friday.
Built in 1920, the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, owned and operated by
Los Angeles County, is one of the city’s oldest performing arts sites
still in use. The 1,241-seat outdoor theater is home to a variety of
events from May through October, including Ballet Moderno y Folkorico
Nacional de Guatemala on May 27, Winifred R. Harris’ Between Lines
on June 17 and the Viver Brasil Dance Company on July 7.
Others to look for: Norris Center for Performing Arts in Palos Verdes,
Countrywide Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard
Performing Arts Center.
Satellites and independents
Institutions sometimes reach out to other parts of a community, as
Valencia-based CalArts did by opening REDCAT to reach a downtown L.A.
audience. Other venues exist simply on their own. Either way, they
show individual profiles in their arts offerings.
Some of the wackiest and most cutting-edge events can be found at
REDCAT (the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater), housed in the
same complex as Walt Disney Concert Hall. There will be a tribute
to contemporary microtonal composer Ben Johnston on May 17, and the
ensemble Partch will continue an ongoing multimedia survey of the
chamber music of maverick composer Harry Partch on May 30.
Another venue devoted to cutting-edge art is Highways Performance Space
in Santa Monica, founded by writer Linda Frye Burnham and performance
artist Tim Miller in 1989. Upcoming events include R Dance Company’s
“Freedom Dances” on April 28 to 30.
Others to look for: Ivar Theatre, Fountain Theater, Open Fist Theatre
and Unknown Theatre in Hollywood; Japan America Theatre and Nate Holden
Center for the Performing Arts in L.A.; El Portal Theatre in North
Hollywood; Electric Lodge in Venice; Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa
Monica; Madrid Theater in Canoga Park; Founders Hall at the Orange
County Performing Arts Center; and Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla.
If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at
latimes.com/archives.
–Boundary_(ID_xBw4N8p/o qX464cv8jRh7g)–

RA DEFENSE MINISTER: ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN MILITARY RELATIONS SHOULD CONSTANTLY DEVELOP
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.04.2006 00:45 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The level of the Armenian-Russian military
cooperation is very high and covers a wide scope of issues, Armenian
Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan stated in an interview with “Krasnaya
Zvezda” Russian newspaper. “We should not stop at the achievement
we have made. On the contrary, we should constantly develop these
relations. We possess the appropriate legal and historical base and
wish. I hosted my Russian counterpart Sergey Ivanov in January and
we discussed the prospects of the Armenian-Russian relations,” he
remarked. “I would like to say that Armenia by no means develops the
relations with NATO at the expense of the Armenian-Russian cooperation
that expands in all directions. But we understand we should be
familiarized with the experience of other states,” the RA Defense
Minister stated. In his words, special place in the Armenian-Russian
relations is given to 102nd Russian military base that was located by
proposal of the Armenian party. “Do you remember early 1990-ies when
military units were seized in the post soviet republics or Russia
itself conveyed the property of the bases to them. At that time by
our suggestion half of the property was conveyed the Armenian party,
on the rest 50% a military base was formed. If Armenia took the
decision it was important for it,” Serge Sargsyan said.

RA AMBASSADOR TO ARGENTINA VLADIMIR KARMIRSHALIAN OFFICIALLY STARTS IMPLEMENTATION OF HIS OBLIGATIONS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006
BUENOS AIRES, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Vladimir
Karmirshalian, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Argentina
handed copies of his credentials to Jorge Taiana, the Minister of
Foreign Relations, International Trade and Worship of the Republic
of Argentina, on April 18 and officially started implementation of
his obligations. The private conversation of the Foreign Minister
of the Republic of Argentina and the RA Ambassador took place
after the official ceremony. The Minister congratulated Ambassador
Karmirshalian on the occasion of the appointment and wished success in
this responsible mission. The necessity of strengthening and deepening
relations between the two countries was touched upon, a number of
international and regional issues of mutual interest was touched upon
during the conversation. At the Minister’s request, the Ambassador
presented relations among Armenia and the region, the process of
democratic and economic reforms taking place in Armenia. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, issues connected with opening soon the Embassy of Argentina
in Yerevan were touched upon during the conversation.

SARGSYAN DOUBTS SERIOUS PREPARATION FOR PEACEKEEPING OPERATION IN KARABAKH
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.04.2006 01:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “To tell the truth I doubt that serious preparation
for peacekeeping operation in Karabakh is carried out somewhere. The
consent of the parties is needed for it,” Armenian Foreign Minister
Serge Sargsyan stated in an interview with “Krasnaya Zvezda”
Russian newspaper when commenting on the reports of the Russian
media that a peacekeeping operation for Nagorno Karabakh of being
elaborated in Brussels under the aegis of the OSCE. In his words,
this will become possible when the conflicting parties come to an
agreement. “Unfortunately there is no agreement between Armenia and
Azerbaijan at present.
Consequently it’s premature to speak of peacekeepers yet,” he said.
When commenting on the current situation with Nagorno Karabakh the
Armenian Defense Minister said, “I should note that the Karabakh issue
is being constantly raised in Azerbaijan and some forces try to solve
internal political problems by gambling on it. You are aware that the
Azeri President and Defense Minister reiterate that if we do not agree
on their conditions Baku will have to settle the problem by force.
Moreover, Azerbaijan has doubled its military budget and the Azeri
President promised to bring it to $1 billion. But it resembles
blackmail.”
“We are not afraid of war but we do not want it. In 1994 the ceasefire
agreement was achieved with Russia’s mediation. Today our troops
occupy firm defense positions. Billions of dollars will not help.
If the military budget could determine the efficiency of the army all
oil-powers would possess the most efficient armies. But it’s not so,”
Serge Sargsyan resumed.

EU: DEMAND OF KARABAKH PEOPLE SHOULD BE MET
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.04.2006 01:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The European Parliament considers it has not clear
“road map” to settle the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, however the EU
should take part in the solution of the issue without fail,” Chair
of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, French MP
Marie-Anne Isler-Beguin stated at a news conference in Yerevan. In
her words, the international community wants soonest settlement
of the Karabakh conflict by peaceful tools. “The other way is just
impossible. The conflict should be solved based on the right of peoples
to self-determination and observation of national minority rights. The
demand of the Nagorno Karabakh people should be met and Azerbaijan
has to respect people’s right to self-determination,” she remarked.
The delegation head believes that the OSCE MG should find a
political compromise between the parties of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. Marie-Anne Isler-Beguin emphasized the EP does not speak
“either of occupied, or liberated territories.” “These are the seven
regions around NK, where refugees should return and decide their
status themselves,” she underscored.
At the same time Isler-Beguin supposes the Armenian society should
be ready to living with Azerbaijanis.
At that she cited the example of France and Germany, which in spite
of past differences, are an exemplar of peaceful cooperation.

TURKEY OBLIGED TO RECOGNIZE AMRENIAN GENOCIDE, MEP BELIEVES
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.04.2006 01:39 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Each time the matter of talks on Turkey’s accession
to the EU is discussed at the European Parliament, the issue of
recognition of the Armenian Genocide is raised, Chair of the EU-Armenia
Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) from France Marie-Anne Isler-Beguin stated at a news conference
in Yerevan.
In her words, it is impossible to imagine that a state can enter Europe
without recognizing a genocide fact and having a blocked border with
a neighbor. “We remind Turkey of the need to acknowledge the Armenian
Genocide and open the border and will always abide by this position,”
she emphasized.

FRENCH HOME SECRETARY CENSURED PROFANATION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL IN LYON
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.04.2006 19:37 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ French Home Secretary Nicolas Sarkozy censured the
vandalism act regarding the Armenian Genocide memorial in Lyon. In
his words, “this crime of violence, expresses negationism and hatred,
and is unacceptable.”
To remind, on April 17, seven days before the commemoration of
the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the steles of the Armenian Memorial
set up in the town of Lyon (France), which was to be inaugurated by
President Jacques Chirac, were profaned with inscriptions of insults
and negationists: “There never was genocide of the Armenians”. This
act of vandalism followed upon the consecutive racist drifts with the
ultra nationalist Turkish demonstration of last 18 March. Armenian
associations and organizations (CCAF – CDCA) call the authorities
of Police force to seek and sanction the persons in charge for these
intolerable attacks of human dignity.
“Authors of the inscription must be severely punished,” added Nicolas
Sarkozy. He assures the Armenian community of its ” whole solidarity
“. He reminded, “the Republic has expressed its stance by the law
of January 29th, 2001, according to which France recognizes publicly
the Armenian Genocide of 1915.” Thus, he added, “the authorities of
the Republic will not admit scoffing at the law.”